Out of the gate, the design and materials used for the ZenFone AR impressed reviewers. The metal edges and leather-like back provided a sturdy feeling and plenty of grip. However, the phone is not IP rated, so be careful around water.

Heading around front, reviews stay positive. The 5.7-inch 1440-by-2560 AMOLED display earned praise for it’s inky blacks and excellent contrast. Reviewers had no issues with noticing pixels or image crispness—even when strapped into a Google Daydream headset. They also praised the phone for its brightness, noting that it was easy to see when outdoors.

Powering those pixels, you’ll find a quad-core 2.35Ghz Snapdragon 821 processor. While it’s not the fastest processor available in 2017, pairing it with 6 or 8GB of RAM satisfied most reviewers.

Digital Trends noted, “Virtual objects in AR mode respond quickly to interaction, though we did encounter some stutters.” However, for everything else, including graphics-intensive games and multitasking, reviews are great.

Depending on the model, the phone offers between 32 and 256GB of internal storage. If you should need more, microSD support makes it easy to add up to 2TB more room for your apps, games, music and video.

One area where reviewers weren’t as pleased with the phone is the software. While it ships with Android 7.1.1 Nougat—and Oreo support is promises—ASUS’s ZenUI didn’t suit most reviewers. Engadget summed up opinions well saying, “Some people will surely appreciate all of the options ASUS offers here, but fans of stock Android will want to run, not walk, away from this thing.”

That said, there was no complaints about bloatware—even with carrier branded phones.

The phone features a powerful camera and sensors used to power the Tango AR features. But reviewers also found it great for photography. The 23MP rear camera includes three different focusing methods and optical image stabilization. The front-facing 8MP lens is simpler, but still produced clear shots in decent lighting.

Talking about the cameras, SlashGear said, “The Pixel has one of the best smartphone-based cameras in the world right this minute and ASUS ZenFone AR is one of the few devices whose camera comes close.”

But fancy features and powerful specs don’t mean anything if the phone can’t last through a day. And, unfortunately, reviewers had mixed experiences for battery life. They agreed that for light usage, a full day on a single charge is possible. But many of them complained that even a few hours of VR and AR use and they’d need to search for a charger to last the day.

Fortunately, the included BoostMaster Fast Charging support means that the phone is compatible with nearly every fast charging system available. The charger included in the box saw top-offs of 50% or more in only 30 minutes.

Despite this praise, reviewers were still hesitant to recommend the phone for two reasons.

The first is the price. The phone costs as much as some of this years flagship releases without the specs to match.

The second is software. While the phone is the first to support both Google Daydream and Project Tango in a single device, reviewers didn’t find many compelling apps on either platform.

In the end, if you’re looking for performance, there’s better value elsewhere. And if you’re looking for an exceptional AR/VR experience, the market isn’t quite there yet.

What the Critics Are Saying...

With Tango no longer in development, this is a hard purchase to justify, but the ZenFone AR is an extremely well-performing phone for its price point with gorgeous build quality, an impressive camera, and a beautiful display.

- Dono, Android Guys

The Asus ZenFone AR is a well-made, high-quality smartphone with WQHD OLED display, more than adequate performance for everyday apps and games, and very fast communication modules.

- Manuel Masiero, Notebookcheck

The Asus Zenfone AR does a pretty impressive job in handling most of the virtual and augmented reality apps. Though the whole AR and VR experience work really good, still, it is just not the right time to buy a smartphone just for these experiences, as it really needs to grow at an exponential rate...

- Rohan Pal, The Mobile Indian

The Asus ZenFone AR came just at the wrong time. It's one of those strange cases where all of its technological advancement is redundant straight out of the box. As surprised as we are to see it launched, it's still kind of exciting to see what Tango could have become.

- Cam Bunton, Pocket-lint

For eight hundred notes, you've a right to expect something a bit special. While the Asus ZenFone's screen certainly is, and the support for virtual reality is solid, everything else about the device screams 'mid range'. And the lack of proper waterproofing and poor battery life is a real let-down.

If your ZenFone AR has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Asus support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Asus's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.

Critic Reviews

A beautifully designed, solidly performing device

With Tango no longer in development, this is a hard purchase to justify, but the ZenFone AR is an extremely well-performing phone for its price point with gorgeous build quality, an impressive camera, and a beautiful display.

With Tango no longer in development, this is a hard purchase to justify, but the ZenFone AR is an extremely well-performing phone for its price point with gorgeous build quality, an impressive camera, and a beautiful display.

Good for show-off but not at a cost of a fortune

The Asus Zenfone AR does a pretty impressive job in handling most of the virtual and augmented reality apps. Though the whole AR and VR experience work really good, still, it is just not the right time to buy a smartphone just for these experiences, as it really needs to grow at an exponential ra...More

The Asus Zenfone AR does a pretty impressive job in handling most of the virtual and augmented reality apps. Though the whole AR and VR experience work really good, still, it is just not the right time to buy a smartphone just for these experiences, as it really needs to grow at an exponential rate to offer more to the consumers, especially in terms of productivity and everyday usability.

You know when you've been Tango'd

The Asus ZenFone AR came just at the wrong time. It's one of those strange cases where all of its technological advancement is redundant straight out of the box. As surprised as we are to see it launched, it's still kind of exciting to see what Tango could have become.

The Asus ZenFone AR came just at the wrong time. It's one of those strange cases where all of its technological advancement is redundant straight out of the box. As surprised as we are to see it launched, it's still kind of exciting to see what Tango could have become.

Feels like a phone for early adopters

For eight hundred notes, you've a right to expect something a bit special. While the Asus ZenFone's screen certainly is, and the support for virtual reality is solid, everything else about the device screams 'mid range'. And the lack of proper waterproofing and poor battery life is a real let-down.

For eight hundred notes, you've a right to expect something a bit special. While the Asus ZenFone's screen certainly is, and the support for virtual reality is solid, everything else about the device screams 'mid range'. And the lack of proper waterproofing and poor battery life is a real let-down.

Poor battery life quickly brings you back to reality

For eight hundred notes, you've a right to expect something a bit special. While the Asus ZenFone's screen certainly is, and the support for virtual reality is solid, everything else about the device screams 'mid range'. And the lack of proper waterproofing and poor battery life is a real let-down.

For eight hundred notes, you've a right to expect something a bit special. While the Asus ZenFone's screen certainly is, and the support for virtual reality is solid, everything else about the device screams 'mid range'. And the lack of proper waterproofing and poor battery life is a real let-down.

It was cool, but it left me wanting a lot more

I think the ZenFone AR is a great phone when you strip away its Tango capabilities. Other than that, it’s just a regular Android smartphone. If you’re someone who doesn’t even think they’ll ever use the phone’s unique features, then it’s a great phone in a great price range, by today’s standards.

I think the ZenFone AR is a great phone when you strip away its Tango capabilities. Other than that, it’s just a regular Android smartphone. If you’re someone who doesn’t even think they’ll ever use the phone’s unique features, then it’s a great phone in a great price range, by today’s standards.

Bending reality, one Tango at a time

If you're an early adopter of next-generation technology or perhaps a developer looking to make inroads in AR/VR, the Asus ZenFone AR is technically the only phone in the market right now to support both these technologies out-of-the-box. As for the rest of the world, well, can we have a moment o...More

If you're an early adopter of next-generation technology or perhaps a developer looking to make inroads in AR/VR, the Asus ZenFone AR is technically the only phone in the market right now to support both these technologies out-of-the-box. As for the rest of the world, well, can we have a moment of warm appreciation for Asus? Raise a toast maybe? The company just created history after all.

Quick performance, battery life is awful

If you’re an Asus fan, we suggest waiting for the ZenFone 4 Pro to see if the problems found here are remedied in the company’s true flagship device. If AR is super important to you, then you can buy the ZenFone AR and know that you’ll have a decently performing phone with dread...More

If you’re an Asus fan, we suggest waiting for the ZenFone 4 Pro to see if the problems found here are remedied in the company’s true flagship device. If AR is super important to you, then you can buy the ZenFone AR and know that you’ll have a decently performing phone with dreadful battery life, heating issues, and an inconsistent camera behind its marquee feature.

For augmented reality and virtual reality enthusiasts

If you're looking for a smartphone with average looks and somewhat above average performance, the Asus Zenfone AR fits that bill. The design is rather plebeian, but the screen, battery life, voice, and data performance all exceeded my expectations. The Android operating system is as customizable...More

If you're looking for a smartphone with average looks and somewhat above average performance, the Asus Zenfone AR fits that bill. The design is rather plebeian, but the screen, battery life, voice, and data performance all exceeded my expectations. The Android operating system is as customizable and flexible as ever, though I'm not the biggest fan of Asus's IS skin and Verizon's bloatware.

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